Animalistic Tendencies
by robsbobs28
Summary: Thea Trager has always been apart of SAMCRO and even more now that she was an old lady. When her best friend J's mom dies, she takes him to live with his estranged grandmother. J soon gets sucked into the Cody's dysfunctional lifestyle, and so does Thea until she's in too deep and she'll be forced to make earth-shattering decisions that will affect her relationships on both sides.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my second fic and it's one I've wanted to publish for awhile now. I've read a lot of SoA and AK fics and in my opinion the shows are very similar and I thought it would be fun to do a crossover between the two. There is no Tara in this story and events of the plot are subject to change based on how I see fit. The story is set during season 1 of Animal Kingdom and towards the end of season 1 of Sons of Anarchy since Abel isn't in the toaster. Like I've already mentioned, the storylines of both shows will be skewed to fit my purposes for this fic. If you like it, please read and review!**

_**Disclaimer: The characters and plot belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I claim is my OC.**_

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Chapter 1: Unexpected News

Standing on the front porch, I unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside, setting my keys on the table as I did so, shutting the door behind me. I ran a hand through my dark brunette hair and walked into the kitchen, setting the three bags of groceries on the counter.

"You're home early? I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another hour or so?" Rachel asked as she cleaned up the kitchen, putting away the groceries that I had brought in and set on the counter.

"Things were slow at work so Mason sent me home early. Where's Abel?" I asked the redhead.

"In the nursery. I gave him a bottle not too long ago and he was out like a light," she said smiling softly.

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks for watching him, I really appreciate it." I said as I dug in my bag for my wallet.

Pulling it out, I opened it and pulled out some cash to give to Rachel but the girl stopped me before I could even give it to her. "You don't need to pay me."

However, I insisted, holding out my hand with the cash to give to the redhead. "Please take it, I insist. You haven't let me pay you the last few times I've asked you to watch him. This is the least I can do?"

Rachel still shook her head. "It's no problem, I don't mind watching him. You're practically family Thee, you never have to pay me. Get that through your head, ok?" she said, smiling at me.

I huffed, putting the wallet back in my bag, setting it on the counter, "Fine. But you can at least let me put away the groceries."

Rachel grinned, pulling me into a hug. "Deal. Call if you need anything, ok?"

I embraced the redhead, nodding. "I will. Thanks again for watching him,"

Rachel pulled away and smiled, "Of course. I love that kid, he's adorable."

"I know." At that, Rachel bid me goodbye and left, shutting the door behind her.

I leaned on the counter, tapping my fingers on the laminate counter-top, trying to decide what to do first. Since I didn't want to wake Abel, I settled for putting away the rest of the groceries and cleaning up the house a bit. It was a mess.

When I finished, I was alerted to the sounds of a crying infant coming from down the hall. I walked down the hall to the nursery to find my six month old son awake and crying in his crib. Abel wasn't really mine but that didn't make him any less so in my book.

I had always seen my boyfriend's infant son as my own and treated him as such. The boy's mother, Wendy, was out of the picture so I had stepped in to help Jax raise him. Since then, I had grown to love Abel as if he were my own.

Smiling softly at the infant, I reached an arm in the crib and used a gentle finger to rub the boy's stomach to try and calm him. "Is someone awake from their nap? Hmm?"

Gently, I lifted the boy into my arms and cradled him, rocking him slowly as I sat down in the chair next to the crib. Blue eyes came to stare at me and I couldn't help but smile, my heart swelling with nothing but love and adoration. As Abel's blue eyes continued to stare at me, his crying soothed and finally stopped.

I had just gotten comfortable in the chair when my phone started ringing. Looking at Abel, I smiled. "Maybe that's daddy. Should we check Abel?"

At the sound of the word 'daddy' the boy's face lit up and he gave me a two teeth smile as he let out a happy cry. Smiling even more if that was possible, I stood from the chair, Abel secured in my arms and walked to the phone in the kitchen.

Picking it up with my free hand, my blue eyes examined the Caller ID only to find that it wasn't Jax calling, but my best friend J. At this time of day, J should have been in school. It was weird for him to call like this.

Curious, I flipped it open and said, "Hello? J?"

There was a pause before the boy spoke, "Hey Thee," he said.

His voice was quiet and shaky. Something was definitely wrong. Frowning, I spoke, concern for my friend etched in my tone as I gently rocked Abel. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"M-my mom. She's dead. OD'd," his voice trailed off on the other line.

My heart sank at the words he spoke. "Jesus. I'm so sorry J," I sighed sadly. I had known his mom since we were in rehab together a few years back. She was what led me to meet J.

There was another long pause before J spoke on the other line. "Can you come get me? I could use a friend right now,"

I didn't even hesitate before I spoke. "Of course. Give me a little time and I'll be there, ok? Just hang tight,"

I hung up, closing the phone shut and then looking to Abel as I walked to the infant carrier sitting by the front door. With Abel calm, it was easy to get him strapped in. Often times, he made a fuss about going into the carrier. Today, I was lucky. "Looks like we'll be seeing daddy after all,"

It was a 15 minute car ride to the MC clubhouse. The clubhouse for the Sons also served as a mechanic shop and I knew that if there was one place Jax would be, it was here. Turning into the lot, I pulled to the side and put the car in park. The men working noticed me as I got out of the car and grabbed Abel's carrier from the backseat. I had just started walking to the garages where the guys were working on a few cars when Jax appeared.

He was in his leather vest, club patch displayed on the back. It was clear that he was in the middle of club business, not his typical mechanic nonsense. It made sense since Jax was the club's VP. When the blonde reached me, he had a concerned expression on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he kissed my cheek. "I told you I'd be home in a few hours?"

I sighed. "I should've called first, I'm sorry. I need you to take Abel for a couple hours,"

Jax closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't right now Thea. I'm in the middle of club business-"

"Is that my beautiful grandson I see?" Clay Morrow's voice boomed loudly as he slowly made his way over to the two of us from the garage, giving me a side hug. He was Jax's stepfather and the president of their MC.

I smiled softly as Clay kneeled down in front of the carrier and made a silly face at his grandson, who spread a two-teeth grin as he laughed, spit going everywhere. Clay then reached a hand in the carrier and tickled the infant.

I glanced at Clay. "I was just asking Jax if he could take Abel for a few hours. I need to run an errand," I briefly explained.

Jax was about to speak up and protest but Clay stood and cut him off, a smile on his face. "Of course. We'll watch him, no problem,"

I nodded, handing the carrier over to Clay, who happily accepted. Jax threw his stepfather a look which Clay returned with a warning glare. "Don't give me that look son. Your mother can watch him until church is finished and then he's all yours,"

Jax sighed. "Alright. Thanks Clay,"

The older man nodded before walking away, leaving Jax alone to speak with me. "Mind telling me where you're going?"

I folded my arms over my chest and looked at Jax, speaking bluntly. "J called. His mom OD'd. She's dead."

The blonde sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Jesus. Is he okay?"

I looked away at the ground, shaking my head. "No. I'm going to see him, help him where I can. He needs a friend right now,"

Jax nodded, rubbing my arms in a comforting gesture. "Alright. Are you going to be okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine. I should probably get going,"

Jax nodded, "Why don't you take Tig or Op with you? That way you're not going alone,"

I smiled at my boyfriend's concern. "I'll be fine Jax. I promise, I'll call when I can."

The blonde hesitated a minute before finally giving in. Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on my lips before pulling away. "Be careful,"

"I will," I said as I pulled away and went to the car and got in, buckling up.

Jax gave me a wave as I was pulling out. I returned the gesture before turning out onto the road and leaving Teller-Morrow, heading for J's apartment.

I double checked the address of the apartment before ultimately deciding to get out of the car. I haven't been in this neighborhood for some time due to all the drugs that were constantly swimming through it. The last thing I wanted was to relapse. Shutting the car door behind me, I made my way up the steps to the second floor. Finding the apartment number, I knocked lightly on the door.

After waiting for a few minutes, the door finally opened. J was standing there in jeans and a white shirt. His hair was a mess and sticking out in different directions, bags under his eyes. As soon as my eyes landed on him, I pulled the 17 year old into a hug. J hesitated, but then he melted into the embrace, his tan arms wrapping firmly around me, burying his head into my shoulder.

We stayed that way for a few minutes before J finally broke the embrace. He looked like shit. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course. I'm always here for you," I said honestly.

J opened the door wider to allow me to step inside. Family feud was playing quietly on the TV in the living room and the apartment was mostly empty. I sat down in the nearest chair, not sure how to ask the questions swirling through my mind.

"Did you- were you the one that found her?" I asked sadly. Julia was my friend and it was through her that I met J, who had become my best friend over the years.

J nodded, staring at the wall, tears in his eyes. "Yeah. I woke up this morning and came out to eat cereal when I found her. She was on the couch, needle sticking out of her arm-" he choked, burying his face in his hands.

I could see how overwhelmed with emotion he was just talking about his mom. It reminded me of how I felt when my mom died. I silenced him, placing a hand on his knee. "It's ok. You don't have to explain anything to me,"

The boy nodded, going silent. I glanced around before returning my eyes to J. "Is there anyone you can call that you can stay with? Any family?"

"There's my grandmother but we're estranged. I haven't seen or spoken to her in years. I think she still lives here in Oceanside though." he spoke, looking at me, his eyes begging for help.

"Ok, that's a start. Do you have her number? You should call her," I suggested.

Julia had mentioned her family to me a few times, though she didn't talk about them much. All she said was that they weren't her biggest supporters so she left. She never explained the reason why she distanced herself from them so I had always assumed it was because of the drugs. All I knew is that I wanted J to live with his family, whether that be his distant relatives or me.

J nodded. "Yeah, it's in the kitchen. Mind if I borrow your phone?" he asked.

I nodded. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and handed it to J. He took the cell before standing and heading into the kitchen to call his grandmother. Not wanting to intrude, I remained in the living room.

When he returned 20 minutes later, he handed the phone back as I looked up at him expectantly. "Well? What did she say?"

"She didn't sound completely heartbroken about my mother, but she seemed happy to hear from me. She wants to come get me," he explained.

I perked up a bit at his words. "That's great news. When is she going to be here?"

"Actually I told her a friend would bring me to where she lives. She gave me the address." he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Do you mind taking me?"

I shook my head before standing. "Not at all. Why don't you grab your things and I'll take you over there?"

J nodded. "Thank you Thee."

Once J had gathered up what things he had, he met me down at the car. He threw his stuff in the trunk before climbing into the passenger side. He handed me the address to his grandmother's and I started the car before driving off.

Janine Cody lived across town in an area that I wasn't entirely familiar with. When we first pulled up to the address, I wasn't sure it was actually correct. It was a large house that was tightly gated with security cameras in the front.

Inside the currently open gate, expensive looking bikes and vehicles were lining the driveway. "Are you sure this is the right address? It seems a little fancy,"

J scanned over the address again. "Yeah this is the address."

"Ok." I said hesitantly and pulled the car in the driveway, turning off the engine. J and I stepped out of the car, J grabbing his stuff from the trunk. Once he was ready, we walked to the front door, and I rang the doorbell.

It took a few moments before someone answered the door. I guessed it was J's grandmother who opened the door based on her appearance. The woman was older, wrinkles outlining some of her features with bleach blonde hair that was cut short. She wore what looked to be somewhat expensive clothing, at least, more expensive than what I had.

The older woman's hazel eyes landed on J as a soft smile crawled its way onto her face. "Hey baby." she said as she pulled the boy into her arms, holding him close. "I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. What happened to her was just awful,"

It took Josh a minute to process what was happening but soon he returned his grandmother's embrace. I eyed the older woman up and down, picking up on how insincere she had sounded when she spoke of her own daughter. There was no love lost there apparently.

The grandmother's hazel eyes must have caught mine staring because she soon pulled away from her grandson. Her eyes lingered on me for a brief moment before she spoke, holding her hand out for me to shake.

"Janine Cody, but you can just call me Smurf." she spoke bluntly.

I reached out my hand and shook the older woman's before letting my hand come back to rest at my side. "Thea."

"It's nice to meet you. Thank you for bringing Josh over. I appreciate it,"

I nodded, placing my hands in the pockets of my jeans. "Of course. It was the least I could do,"

Smurf nodded before opening the front door wider so we could come inside the house. "Why don't you both come inside for a little bit? I've got some cupcakes baking in the oven,"

I was about to protest but with the stern look J's grandmother gave me, I kept my mouth shut and followed the woman and J inside. In some ways, Smurf reminded me of Gemma Teller-Morrow, Jax's mom. Upon entering, the house was spotless and not one thing was out of place. If the outside of the house seemed huge, the inside was definitely bigger.

Smurf led the two of us through the vast house and through to the kitchen. We had just reached the kitchen when howling and yelling from the backyard filled our ears. The raucous was soon followed by a splash.

Smurf shook her head at the nonsense that was occurring outside and she looked to J, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It seems your uncles are making another mess. Come on baby, let's go see them,"

J was silent as his grandmother led him out the sliding glass door and out to the backyard where J's uncles seemed to be screwing around. I followed behind J as we approached the patio surrounding the pool. "Boys, there's someone here to see you,"

The three boys had stopped pushing each other and laughing momentarily to look at who their grandmother was talking about. The blonde then turned to her grandson. "You remember your uncles, don't you J?"

J stared at the three men standing in front of him for a moment before shaking his head. "Not really no."

The man with sandy brown hair that looked older than his other two brothers shook his head. "No worries man. You were like 5 the last time you saw us. That's Deran and Craig. I'm Baz," he said motioning to his two brothers before reaching out his hand to shake.

J hesitantly took it and gave Baz a firm shake. "It's nice to see all of you. Uh, this is my friend Thea. She gave me the ride over here,"

I looked at the three boys and gave a simple wave and a short smile, to which the three brothers returned. I couldn't be certain of my impressions towards J's distant family, but whatever those feelings were, I felt strangely uncomfortable.

The man whom Baz had introduced as Craig spoke up. Him and his two brothers also weren't as sincere as they probably should have been for their dead sister. It was clear to me that Julia was right about her and her family not being close. "We're sorry about your mom, man."

J nodded slightly. "Thanks,"

Silence fell over the group and it only made me more uncomfortable. I felt like my presence here was intruding, like I had overstayed my welcome. I turned my attention to J and spoke softly.

"I better get going,"

J nodded and was about to say something when his grandmother beat him to the punch and spoke first. Her eyes seemed to narrow slightly as she spoke directly to me, like the gears in her head were turning to figure out who I was. "Are you sure? You're welcome to stay dear. My boys and I would love to have you stay for dinner?"

"I'm sure. I have to get home and take care of my boys. Thank you for the offer, maybe another time." I said sweetly.

J spoke. "I'll walk you out,"

I waved goodbye to everyone in the back before J walked me back to the car. Once they reached the door, J looked at me. "You looked uncomfortable the whole time we were back there. What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I just can't shake this uneasy feeling away. There's something off about them J, they weren't sincere when they talked about your mom."

The boy shrugged. "Like my uncle pointed out, I haven't seen any of them since I was 5, which probably means that that was the last time they saw my mom too."

I folded my arms over my chest. "Still, there had to be a reason why your mom was keeping you from them. Whatever is off about them, whatever they're doing, I don't want to see you get sucked into it. Do you understand? I don't want to see you get hurt J."

The teenager rolled his eyes in annoyance, a small smirk forming at the edges of his mouth. "Don't worry Thee. I can take care of myself, you don't have to babysit me."

I rolled my eyes and ruffled his already messy hair. "Quit being a shithead. I'm always going to watch out for you, I don't care how old you are. Just promise me you'll call if you need anything."

"I promise." he said as he hugged me.

"Good. I'll see you later." I got in the car and drove away. On the way home, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of situation I just threw my best friend into.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: The characters and plot belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I claim is my OC.**_

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Chapter 2: Funeral

A few days had gone by since J's mother had OD'd and I had dropped my friend off at his estranged grandmother's house. I hadn't heard much from J since, which was expected. His mother just died, I couldn't blame him for being distant. I understood exactly what he was going through.

However, the only thing that I had heard from J was the text he sent with the details of his mother's funeral that was to take place the following day. It was the middle of the night, the night before Julia's funeral and I couldn't sleep.

I still felt somewhat uneasy about the situation that I had placed J into. I had this nagging feeling in my gut that there was something terribly off with the boy's grandmother and uncles, though I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

I was concerned for my friend. J was like a little brother to me and the last thing I want is for him to get hurt. Glancing at the red numbers displayed on the alarm clock, I saw that it was almost 3am.

Giving up on sleep for the night, I quietly pulled off the covers and snaked out of bed. Checking to make sure Jax was still asleep, I walked out of the bedroom and started down the hallway, though I popped my head into Abel's room to check on him.

Finding the infant still sound asleep, I continued down the hallway and into the kitchen. Flipping on the light switch, I yawned as I grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet and started a batch of coffee. I ran a tired hand through my hair as I waited for the coffee to finish.

Apparently I wasn't as quiet as I previously thought because the next thing I knew, strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind and a soft kiss landed on my bare shoulder. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jax asked as he leaned his head to rest on my shoulder, the stubble from his chin tickling my bare skin.

I shook my head, leading Jax to ask. "You're worried about J, aren't you?"

I sighed. "Yeah. I know he's fully capable of taking care of himself but I just can't shake this uneasiness I feel about leaving him to live with his grandmother,"

Jax furrowed his eyebrows, "You think something's off about them? That they're hiding something?"

I nodded, turning around to face my boyfriend. "I do. I know J's mom was a junkie and all but there had to be a good reason as to why she kept her son away from her family."

The blonde nodded, "You're probably right. You said the funeral's later today, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" I questioned.

The blonde's blue eyes stared directly at mine. Those beautiful eyes of his always made me want to melt. "I want to go with you. I want to be there for J and I'm sure the boys will want to be there too."

"Are you sure? Don't you boys have some SAMCRO business to take care of?" I asked.

Jax shook his head. "It can wait until after. J's family babe, and we want to be there for him. Besides, if we're there, we can keep an eye on that so-called family of his,"

I broke my gaze from Jax and looked to the floor, folding my arms over my chest. "You've got a point there."

Jax leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "You don't need to worry. Everything's going to be fine Thea, I promise. We'll figure this out and we'll keep J safe."

"Promise?" I asked, my eyes travelling to look back at Jax.

"I promise."

Later that morning, everyone was busy preparing for the funeral that was to take place in an hour. Jax had called Clay and the rest of the boys and explained to them what I had done so earlier that morning. They all had agreed to attend the funeral.

Abel was to stay with Rachel, a friend of mine for the day while everything was going on. A funeral wasn't really the place for a baby, especially with the circumstances. Rachel had come over to the house to take care of Abel, while Jax and I were getting ready. Not long after Rachel showed up, multiple bikes roared down the street and pulled into the driveway. It was time to go. Jax and I bid our goodbyes to our son and Rachel before heading out front.

In the driveway sat 8 motorcycles apart from Jax's. Everyone from the club was there, all prepared to attend the funeral of a mother to a friend and ready to offer their support. "Thank you guys for agreeing to come. I'm sure J will appreciate the support, I know I do."

"Of course. SAMCRO would never miss something this important, especially when it's someone we consider to be family," Clay spoke from his spot on his bike. His old lady Gemma was sitting behind him.

My attention on Clay was sidetracked when Jax passed me his helmet to put on. Putting it on, I snapped the buckle under my chin to secure it on my head. Climbing on the back on Jax's bike, I firmly wrapped my arms around my boyfriend before we took off.

As the time for the funeral to start slowly approached it's mark, J began to grow more cold and hollow. While the 17 year old was still grieving over his mother, he was beginning to feel nothing at all. The past few days staying at his grandmother's house were definitely interesting to say the least.

The first morning he was there, he was sitting in the kitchen with Deran. Smurf was making smoothies with her blender, breasts practically hanging out of her bikini top and pink coverup, when an enraged Craig burst into the kitchen and started screaming at her over the blender making too much noise. Not to mention, the man was butt ass naked.

It was definitely a scenario that had made J uncomfortable, what with the way the family interacted with one another. So he tried to spend as little time at the house as possible when they were home. Smurf had driven him to the funeral while Baz and his wife Catherine drove separately along with Deran and Craig.

He was patiently waiting for his best friend to show up before they would start the burial. Smurf had insisted on not having a formal funeral because Julia would have never wanted something like this and not knowing what to do, J simply agreed with her decision.

Little did he know, I wasn't coming alone. I hadn't disclosed to him that all the Sons in the Oceanside charter would be coming with me. His grandmother came to stand next to him by his mother's casket as his uncles remained back a bit. Some of his old neighbors were there too to support him.

"We should probably get started, baby. People are starting to get a little impatient and restless," The older woman spoke softly, glancing at her boys who looked like they didn't want to be there anymore than she did.

J just merely shook his head. "Not without Thea."

Smurf sighed, rubbing her grandson's back. "Are you even sure she's coming sweetie?"

The boy didn't look at his grandmother as he spoke, staring out into the parking lot, his eyes scanning for any signs of his friend. "She said she'd be here. 5 more minutes and then if she's not here by then, we'll start."

Smurf nodded, bringing J close to kiss his forehead. "Alright. 5 more minutes," she pulled away from the boy and walked to stand next to her boys, making small conversation with them.

J kicked his foot through the grass as he waited. The 5 minutes were just about up and he sighed. He didn't want to start without me, but he couldn't delay the burial any longer. J had begun making his way to stand next to his grandmother and uncles when he heard it. The rumbling sound of multiple motorcycles heading their way. One by one, motorcycles flooded the parking lot of the cemetery until all nine of them were present. All attention swiveled to the bikers that had just rolled up and parked their bikes.

They were wearing what looked to be somewhat formal attire but otherwise they looked fairly casual, sporting their signature leather cuts, reaper patches on their backs standing out like a sore thumb. They were present for the burial of one Julia Cody.

J's eyes immediately began looking for me amongst the crowd of bikers. It didn't take long for him to pick me out since I was always with Jax. When we approached, J couldn't help but feel the animosity that seemed to have forced itself between the group of bikers and his newfound family. The tension between his family and the bikers was overwhelming.

However, all the animosity didn't prevent me from breaking away from Jax to come and give J a hug. I held him close for a brief moment before pulling away. "I'm sorry we're late. There was some traffic on the freeway,"

He smiled softly. "No worries. I'm just glad you came. I didn't know you were bringing the whole crew?" he asked as he looked around me to the group of bikers standing not far behind.

"Of course we'd be here Josh," Jax said as he came to stand next to me, slinging his arm around my shoulders a soft smile on his face. "We wouldn't miss this for anything. You're practically family,"

His words caused J to smile as he nodded and gave Jax a firm handshake. "Thanks man. I really appreciate it,"

"No problem." Jax said as Smurf interrupted the little conversation that we were having.

She strode over slow and confident, apparently wanting to make it clear that she was the boss around here. From the corner of my eye, I could see Gemma raise a brow, lowering her sunglasses just below her eyes as she stared at Smurf. If we weren't at the funeral right now, I'd probably bust out laughing at the fact that Gemma had met her match.

When Smurf reached the three of us, she halted and stood proud. Plastering the fakest of smiles on her face, she looked at us and spoke, her tone firm. "Now that everyone's here, we should start."

The burial itself didn't take long, it was mostly just people saying their farewells and giving their respect to J's mother. Everyone was silent as the casket was lowered into the hole in the ground. It was then that one of J's old neighbors spoke, her attention completely directed at J.

"You shouldn't be with them, J. There was a reason your mother kept you from them. She never wanted this for you." The woman spoke bitterly as she and her family glared at J's family once before they took their leave.

The Cody clan remained silent. They refused to let J's neighbor get under their skin, especially since they were here to pay their respects to their daughter, sister and mother. The tallest brother, Craig, seemed to be distracted by something else entirely, not paying attention to the more important things around him.

Instead of focusing his attention on his grieving nephew or the lowered casket of his deceased sister, his eyes instead were focusing on something else, someone else. His blue eyes couldn't help but linger on me standing almost directly across from him.

Craig thought I was the most beautiful thing in the world with my long, silky brunette hair, piercing blue eyes, thin figure with curves in all the right places not to mention I was tall and lean. Craig knew that I would be his ultimate downfall, he could feel it.

Jax must have picked up on Craig staring at me, because the blonde's eyes were glaring daggers at the Cody brother. He then proceeded to snake his arm around my waist and pull me snugly to him. I didn't pay much attention to it, just simply looked up at him as he gave me a soft kiss before I turned my attention back to the hand at matter.

As long as I was in the arms of SAMCRO, I would never be his and Craig knew that. The Sons were his family's biggest rivals in Oceanside with their gun running business and with them, death followed much like the reapers patched on their vests. The Cody's wanted them gone. SAMCRO had roots all over town, roots that were interfering with the Cody family's own business.

Craig knew that I would always be protected by the Club, but that didn't mean he couldn't take a shot and try to convert me to their side. With J falling into their family and me being his nephew's best friend, it would be worth a shot. The club would fall apart without me for I was like the glue holding them together. The demise of the Sons of Anarchy would finally let the Cody family thrive.

A few minutes later, people slowly started to break away and leave the area. SAMCRO left for their bikes and the only ones left standing there were the Codys'.

I looked at Jax as he was ready to leave this place. "Do you mind if I invite J to the party tomorrow? It might be a good distraction for him?"

The blonde nodded before glancing over to look at the Cody's who seemed to be in their own conversation as J stood to the side, clearly not apart of whatever they were discussing. "Yeah, just don't take long. I don't trust them."

Nodding, I made my way to J. "Hey, so the club's throwing a party tomorrow evening. I wanted to invite you, it might be a good distraction to get away from all of this," I said, using my finger to gesture to his family and lowered casket in the ground.

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. I could use the distraction, and there's a lot I need to tell you."

A small smile graced my features. "Alright, cool. I'll text you when I'm on my way to pick you up."

"Sounds good. Thank you again for coming. I love you Thee," he said as he embraced me.

I hugged back. "Of course. I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow," I said before walking off towards the bikes that had been started up and were rumbling in the parking lot as the boys revved them up.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: The characters and plot belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I claim is my OC._**

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Chapter 3: Distraction

It was around 5 in the evening the following day when I was ready to head over and pick up J. Gemma had just arrived at the house to pick up Abel who was also to be present at the party, at least for a short while until things got crazy. The boys tended to get wild as it got late and with the half-dressed sweetbutts walking around, it would be a good thing that Abel wouldn't be there.

The older woman had let herself into her son's house as she had a key for the door. Shutting the door behind her, she looked around for me, the girl that had stolen her son's heart. "Thea, sweetheart?"

"In here!" she heard me call out from down the hall.

Gemma walked down the hallway to find me in the nursery, packing Abel's baby bag and getting everything ready to go for the day. "You didn't have to pack his bag for me. I could've done it,"

I looked up at the older woman and smiled. "I know. I had some extra time so I figured I'd do it. Besides, I wasn't sure when you were going to get here."

"Well I'm here now," the matriarch said as she stepped further into the room, only to pick up her grandson and smother him with nothing but love.

I smiled at the interaction, walking out into the kitchen to grab my wallet and keys from the counter. Gemma followed behind as she carried Abel in her arms. "You going to get J?"

I nodded, looking at Gemma. "Yeah. I sent him a text to let him know that I'm on my way."

"That's good, I'm glad you invited him today. The boys have sure missed him hanging around." she said.

"I'm sure. I know I have," I said and was ready to walk out the door when the matriarch spoke up once more, a serious edge in her tone.

"Be careful around those Codys, sweetheart. They're dangerous," she pointed out.

Jax had briefly mentioned to me after the funeral about what kind of people the Cody's were. I didn't like that I had put J into this kind of situation. I was used to the constant danger surrounding my life. J was not and I didn't want him to get dragged into anything that could potentially get him killed..

I looked back at Gemma, my hand resting on the door knob. "I will. See you at the party," Then I left.

Reaching the property, I pulled my car through the open gate and onto the driveway where I parked and stepped out. There weren't many cars present like there were the other day, so I wasn't sure as to who could be home.

Walking through to the front door, I picked up on the multiple security cameras that were set around in places outside the house. I had first noticed the cameras when I brought J here, but I never realized how many actually lined the property. Reaching the front door, I knocked a couple times and waited for someone to answer.

It wasn't long before a man with shoulder length blonde hair opened the door, wearing a navy blue tank top and gray shorts with a lion tattoo on his shoulder. I recognized him as Deran, one of J's uncles, the youngest to be exact.

He didn't seem to care that I was there all that much. Running a hand through his hair, Deran looked at me. "I'm guessing that you're here for J?"

"Yeah. Where is he?" I asked.

Deran stepped out of the way to let me in. "He's probably still in the shower. You can hang out in his room until he's done."

He walked down the wooden floors with me following close behind. Soon Deran stopped and pointed down the hall. "His room's down the hall and is the last door on the right,"

"Thanks," I said before heading in that direction.

I was walking down the long hallway, spotting J's room when the door to another room opened and Craig stepped out and into my path. Not expecting that to happen, I barely missed colliding with the taller Cody.

"Watch where you're walking sweetheart." he said as he looked at me. Due to my taller stature, we were almost eye level.

He too was wearing a tank top and shorts, but unlike his younger brother, his hair was a complete mess as it fell in waves that rested just barely past his shoulders. I merely rolled my eyes and went to step around Craig, but he stepped in the way, blocking me from moving past him.

"Do you mind getting out of my way? I've got places to be." I said irritably as my icy blue eyes glared at him.

"Sure, no problem." he shot back as he side-stepped out of the way.

When I proceeded to push past him, the man leaned down low enough to where I could feel his warm breath on my ear. "As long as you're here, your tough biker boys won't be able to protect you."

I quickly whipped my head around to face Craig, not intimidated in the slightest by the man's words. I had grown accustomed to behavior like this from men, when I lived in New Mexico, and now here in Oceanside. Instead, I gave him a firm warning, my eyes never leaving his, my tone icy.

"You so much as lay a hand on me and I'll cut your balls off. And if you or the rest of your family try and drag J into whatever fucked up mess you've made for yourselves, I will not hesitate to kill you all myself." I threatened.

I pushed my way past Craig, who just smirked at me as I walked further down the hall and turned to go into J's room. I definitely was a spitfire. Craig liked that about me. After I was out of sight, Craig walked to the kitchen and was met by his younger brother Deran, who was sitting at the bar drinking a beer.

Judging by the look on his face, he had heard the exchange between his brother and I. Craig stared at his brother as he pulled a beer from the fridge and popped it open. "What's your problem?"

Deran shrugged and shook his head, taking a swig of his beer. "Nothing. Just be careful around that one. The last thing we need are the Sons breathing down our necks because you're trying to screw one of their Old Ladies."

"That's not what I'm trying to do. I have an actual plan here." Craig shot back.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, bro." Deran replied with a smirk on his face. "You better learn to stop thinking with your dick and start thinking with your head before Smurf finds out. Her and Baz will kick your ass,"

"Oh shut up you asshole," Craig replied, throwing the kitchen towel at his brother who just laughed.

When I entered J's room, I could hear the shower running from the bathroom. Figuring that he was still getting ready, I took a seat on the bed. There were a couple pieces of furniture in the room, an unboxed flatscreen TV, a dresser and a nightstand with a lamp. Aside from the flatscreen, the room was simple. I liked that.

A sliding glass door branched off from the room, which led to the backyard where the pool and outside bar were located. All in all it was a pretty house, although it looked far too expensive for my taste.

Lost in thought, I didn't hear the water turn off or J come out of the bathroom from his shower. He had put his pants on and was using a towel to dry his hair so it wasn't dripping wet. "You're here early," he pointed out.

His sudden words made me jump because I had been distracted by my attention to detail regarding the house. "I sent you a text to let you know I was coming?"

J chuckled, throwing the towel on the dresser as he went to his closet to pick out a shirt. "Sorry. I was in the shower,"

I glanced around the room once more before looking at J who was pulling down his shirt. "The room's nice. Are you settling in ok?"

J quickly ran a brush through his messy curls. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not going to lie, it feels weird being here. I feel like a stranger,"

I nodded, watching J put on what looked to be a brand new pair of shoes. "I can understand that. Are those new shoes?"

"Yeah. Baz gave me some money to buy a new pair. My old ones were worn down and falling apart." he stated, standing up, slipping his phone in his pocket. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

On the way to the clubhouse, J told me everything that had been going on since I had dropped him off at Smurf's. J told me about the strange interactions between his uncles and grandmother and how Smurf wore clothes that were exposing and made him uncomfortable. He also mentioned how they run these "jobs" that he didn't know anything about, but had overheard quiet conversations between his grandmother and uncles. The teenager guessed it was something illegal considering his mother's twin brother Pope had gone to prison for 3 years and had arrived home just this morning.

Aside from the information he just told me, J also mentioned how Deran and Craig took him surfing and how Craig handed him a gun to aim at some surfers that were being a "problem" to them when they were out on the water. J didn't shoot anyone of course, but it still didn't make him feel any better. Hell, hearing that didn't make me feel better. It only made me worried for him.

"Jesus J. What did I get you into?" I asked worriedly as I drove, eyes locked on the road.

The brown haired boy shook his head, glancing at me from his seat. "It's not your fault Thee. You couldn't have known,"

"Still, I could have prevented this if I had just listened to my gut. I knew the Cody's were bad news. I have to get you out of there," I stated.

"You can't. I'm a minor and Smurf has been deemed my legal guardian until I turn 18. It's in writing." he explained.

I clenched my jaw as my hands gripped the steering wheel harder. "There has to be something I can do. I'm not comfortable with you living there J. You're going to get hurt."

"I'll be alright. In a few months I'll be 18 and then I can leave. You taught me how to fight and take care of myself and that's what I'm going to do. You can't always protect me Thee. You have your own family to take care of," he pointed out.

I closed my eyes for a brief second and sighed, relaxing my grip on the steering wheel. "You're right, I'm sorry. Just promise me that you won't get involved with whatever your uncles and grandmother are doing?"

"I promise."

When J and I arrived at the clubhouse, I whipped my car into the parking lot and parked. A long row of bikes lined the TM lot and some members of SAMCRO were outside smoking cigarettes and drinking beers. Everyone else was inside.

The both of us got out of the car and began walking to the building where the party was being held. J was quiet, so I took the opportunity to swing my arm around his shoulders.

"Ready to party knucklehead?" I asked, messing up his hair.

For the first time in awhile, J actually laughed. It made me happy, seeing my best friend in better spirits than he had been the past few days. Mourning the loss of someone you cared about was hard. I've been through it and knowing I could cheer J up made me even happier. It meant he was healing.

"Yeah. I haven't been to one of these things in awhile," he said, preparing himself for the ambush he would receive once inside the clubhouse.

"Good because I'm sure the guys will want to get you drunk. Don't let them talk you into anything stupid," I said in warning, though there was a smile on my face.

"I won't. Is Abel here? I haven't seen that kid in forever, I miss him." he asked.

"Yes he is. He's over there with Gemma." I said, pointing to the older woman who was swaying to the music with her infant grandson as we walked in the door.

J smiled and began heading in their direction when he was practically pulled to the floor by Tig Trager, my biological father, as the older man dragged J in the opposite direction, away from Abel. J just went with the flow, knowing that the guys sidetracking him was a major possibility and sure enough, it had happened two seconds after we walked in the door.

"Somebody get this boy something to drink!" Tig's voice boomed as he laughed. The scent of alcohol was ever present as he spoke. He was already half in the bag and had an open beer bottle in his hand.

Chibs Telford, another well-known and cherished club member, strode over with two beers in his hand. The Scotsman spoke with his thick accent as he handed J a beer. "There ye go, lad. It's great to see ye here."

"Thank you Chibs." J said as he took a drink of the beer that Chibs had given him. "It's been a long time since I've been to one of these parties,"

"Aye, it has." Chibs replied with a smile before nodding to the billiard table centered in the room. "Let's play some billiards aye?"

"Sure."

Tig and Chibs led J over to the billiard table and got everything set up. J was approached by other members of the club, including Opie Winston, who was Jax's best friend. I smiled at J who seemed to be getting comfortable here and enjoying himself.

I grabbed myself a beer from behind the bar and walked over to Jax who was lounging comfortably in one of the leather chairs in the corner of the room. The blonde readjusted his position on the chair when he saw me coming to sit with him.

When I finally reached Jax, I sat in his lap, legs draping over the arm of the chair as I wrapped a loose arm around his neck to keep myself steady. Jax in turn wrapped an arm around my waist, forcing me to lean comfortably against him, his hand resting on my thigh.

Jax smiled warmly before nodding his head towards J's direction. "He seems like he's enjoying himself?"

I glanced over, "Yeah. I'm glad for that. I don't think I've seen him this happy in awhile."

I then turned my attention back to Jax, my fingers gently tugging at the strands of hair on his neck. "Thank you for letting me invite him."

"Of course." Jax said pulling me down to his level so he could kiss me. "I love you."

"I love you too,"

The party lasted for hours, before eventually slowing down at around midnight. I hadn't drank much since I would have to drive J home. I offered to let him stay here at the clubhouse for the night but he told me that Smurf would flip if I didn't take him home. So once he was ready, I took J home and dropped him off.

J was pretty wasted from the party, he knew that much. It was definitely a hangover he wasn't looking forward to having the next day. The house seemed awfully quiet when he stepped inside. That was until he heard yelling coming from one of the bedrooms. He began walking in that general direction, passing the dimly lit living room where Smurf wasn't even paying attention to him. Deran was lying on the couch, his head in his mother's lap as he sobbed.

"N-no one was supposed to be there. I-I checked everything out before we pulled the job. N-no one was s-supposed to get hurt," he sobbed as he put his head in his hands.

Smurf was running her hands through her son's hair. "Shh everything's going to be okay baby. It's not your fault, shh."

If that wasn't weird enough, J got sidetracked by more yelling coming from down the hall as he was heading to his bedroom to crash. Stumbling as he went, J reached the doorway of the room where he suspected the yelling was coming from. J sobered up pretty quickly at the sight before him. Craig was sitting on his bed, shirtless, with a belt in his mouth and was visibly shaking. His shoulder was bleeding profusely as Baz and Pope were trying to hold him down.

"Hold him down dammit!" Baz yelled to Pope, his brother, as Craig screamed into the leather of the belt. His face was soaked in sweat as Baz looked like he was trying to cauterize whatever wound his brother had.

To J, it looked like a bullet wound. Not wanting to watch anymore, the smell of burning flesh caught in his nose, he walked the rest of the way to his room. He locked the door and tried to go to sleep. After what he had just witnessed, the 17 year old was wide awake and was not going to sleep that night, countless thoughts and questions swirling in his head.


End file.
